Where to celebrate Chinese New Year 2014 – Year of the Horse

Chinese New Year is a special time for our family because we’re half Chinese. Even if you’re not of Asian descent it’s a great time in Melbourne for firecrackers, lion dances and lots of yummy food!

Here’s a list of CNY festivals in Melbourne in date order which are all free:

Victoria Street Lunar Festival – Sun Jan 19, 11am-10pm. While technically the Vietnamese celebrate Tet there’s a large enough Chinese-Vietnamese population for Victoria Street Richmond to hold a CNY celebration. It’s very popular and gets a bit crowded but the street is closed off for food stalls and performances.

Springvale Lunar New Year Festival – Sun Jan 26, 9am-9pm Buckingham Ave, Springvale. Springvale has a large Vietnamese/Chinese population and this CNY festival coincides with Australia Day, so two holidays in one! See martial arts displays, lion dances, folk dancing and of course lots of Asian food stalls.

FCA Melbourne Chinatown Chinese New Year Festival – Sun Feb 2, 10am Chinatown, Russell St, Melbourne. The big celebration in Melbourne, with the opening ceremony at 10am followed by the Dragon awakening ceremony and parade. There will be a dedicated Children’s Corner with activities and of course lots of food stalls.

East Meets West Lunar Festival – Sun Feb 2, 10am-10pm. Hopkins St, Footscray. This is the celebration we’ll be attending as it’s in our new hood! Food stalls, games and rides will fill the street.